Prince Louis celebrates 1st birthday with new pictures taken by Duchess of Cambridge

With a lifetime of royal duty ahead of him, Prince Louis will soon become accustomed to dressing in his best for formal photographs.

But not quite yet, it seems.

A new set of official portraits of the baby Prince, released in celebration of his first birthday on Tuesday, show him happily playing in the woods, having rolled around so much he is covered in moss and leaves.

Two pictures, taken by his mother the Duchess of Cambridge, see him clambering up and sitting on a log, surrounded by greenery in a cosy red jumper.

The Duchess has recently spoken extensively about the importance of outdoor play, having designed a family garden for Chelsea Flower Show based on her own woodland at Anmer Hall, Norfolk.

"Spending quality time together is such an important aspect of family life and for me, as a mother, it is the simple family moments like playing outside together that I cherish,” she has said.

In March, she said of Prince Louis: "He just wants to pull himself up all the time. He's got these little walkers and is bombing around on them.”

A third photograph shows the Prince in a different location, back at the house in a second outfit which included a £35 dog jumper from childrenswear company Trotters.

The pictures are a rare glimpse of the Louis, who bears a striking resemblance to his older siblings and mother at the same age and has only been seen in public a handful of times since his birth.

As he turns one, he already has two bottom teeth and neatly combed hair, and is dressed in the same hand-me-down style of Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

While Prince George was dressed in shorts and knee high socks for his baby pictures, Prince Louis is wearing trousers along with a smart shirt collar identical to one worn by his older brother and father, Prince William, when he was small.

The photographs were taken earlier this month in Norfolk, with the Duchess getting behind the camera once again.

The Duke and Duchess are “delighted” to share the images with the public, a spokesman said.

The Cambridge family will celebrate Prince Louis's birthday together on Tuesday morning, before the Duke flies to New Zealand in time for Anzac Day to pay his respects to those affected by the Christchurch mosque terrorist attack.

Prince Louis Arthur Charles, fifth-in-line to the throne, was born at 11.01am on April 23 2018 - St George's Day - weighing 8lb 7oz.

He will soon be joined by a new cousin: the first baby of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who is due any day now.